Four canoes hit the waters of the Columbia River early Monday as members and friends of the Chinook Indian Nation began a five-day journey from Washougal to the mouth of the river.

The group of 31 canoers set off on the second annual Ancestral Canoe Journey of the Chinook, an event created to celebrate the river, which the Chinook call Yaikatl-Wimakl, and to honor longtime Chinook Council Chairman Ray Gardner.

During the journey, which will end at Chinook Point, in Chinook, Wash., the canoers will stop at various sites for meals. They will sleep in tents, at a plankhouse and as guests in Chinook relatives' homes.

"It started out last year as a one-time thing because we wanted to honor our chairman, who wasn't sure if he was going to run again for council because of health issues," said Lisa Elliott, councilwoman of the Chinook Council. "But then he ran again and he won and said, 'Oh let's do that again.'"

Anyone interested was invited to join the journey, and participants range in age from 8 months to 75 years, from Chinook to non-Chinook, and from locals to travelers from Colorado and Montana.

Although the U.S. government does not recognize the Chinook as a tribal nation, members continue to fight for federal restoration and to celebrate their history. This year's event brought a new piece of history to the Chinooks.

Three of the four canoes used in the journey are built in a Chinook style that dates back 200 years. But this year, a new canoe built in a significantly older style joined the journey. Created by Chinook friend Lyle Deschand, resident of La Centre, Wash., the canoe dates back to the styles used more than 400 years ago.

"Not many of the tribal members knew that this style of canoe existed," Deschand said. "I just came across it years ago. Lewis and Clark wrote about them, as did many other early explorers."

Deschand had found a sketch of the stern end of the older style of canoe from 1853. Later, at a museum during a trip to New York, he found a canoe of the same style that had been collected off the river in the early 1800s. Between the two, Deschand built a canoe in months.

"I just worked on the canoe in the evenings after work throughout the winter," Deschand said. "I'm not a Chinook; I just wanted a project to do, and I figured I could help these guys find their own history. I plan to hand it over to them."

Before Monday's 8 a.m. departure, a naming ceremony was held for Deschand's canoe, then it and another canoe were blessed. At the ceremony, the Chinook acknowledge the canoe's name, which they then say five times, then they cleanse the canoe with cedar branches to ensure a clean heart and mind. They walk around the boat three times then burn the cedar boughs to eliminate the bad and conclude the cleanse.

"Basically, for the Chinook, canoes are like your family members," said Kate Elliott, councilwoman of the Chinook Council. "It's like if you took your car, your horse, your house and your children and combined them; that's how important they are. So, we name them. Deschand's canoe's name is Ul-Tomanawax, which means old spirit."

The journey is bookended with another ceremony Friday night, the annual Chinook Nation First Salmon Ceremony, which will honor the fish, believed to be a gift from the salmon king.

"I just think it's really important to honor our ancestors, no matter whom they are or where they're from," Gardner said. "Our ancestors traveled this river daily, fishing and trading, so this is a way to honor them and keep the culture and the tradition alive."